Weight loss and swim times

The topic of weight loss and low carb vs low fat has been hotly debated several times on this board, and I guess most of you know that I advocate the low carb diet because that is what worked for me. What most of you all don't know about me, is that given a choice between eating a traditional meal with meat and a few veggies or just a veggie plate or salad, I would opt for the veggie plate/salad every time. So don't get me wrong I'm not advocating and never have advocated eating nothing but protien (and neither does Atkins if you read and study his book) For those of you old enough to remember a time before WW and other popular diet gurus, think back to what your parents and grandparents did to lose weight. They cut back on breads, sweets, potatoes and rice. And there you go... a low carb/calorie diet. Granted its not as low as Atkins, but it is still lower carbs. And those of you old enough to remember WW from the early 70's think about it... consumption of breads, potatoes, rice, those high carb kinda foods were very limited each day. There was a group of foods that were 'unlimited'. Guess what they were? Low carb veggies. So yeah, I agree with Bill eat those fruits and vegatables and get your carbs that way.

Originally posted by Swimmer Bill I used to have the same problem -- especially with lettuce. I would get home from the market, put it in the crisper drawer and forget about it. Two weeks later the drawer would contain a pool of brown, rotten lettuce soup. YUK! Most of the time, my fridge looks like nobody lives here. I go to the market almost every day and find the freshest, most beautiful things I can get my hands on. With lettuce and greens, I wash and spin them dry, then put them in a Ziploc bag before they go into the fridge. This way, I'm ready to just pull them out and fix a meal without going through the whole process of washing, etc. You can probably figure out a way to shop once a week and still have fresh things on hand. There are a lot of vegetables that keep for a week or longer, although I prefer to consume them within a day or two of purchasing them. If you clean your veggies and do a little prep before putting things away in the fridge, it really helps. Also, if you store these things within view, you will not forget about them as easily. So anyway, I go to the market every day, if possible. I stay on the perimeter of the market, where all the fresh produce, fruits and vegetables, meats, dairy can be found. There is very little processed, packaged, or canned food in my home -- but there are some staples around (jars of roasted red peppers, canned tuna, dry pasta, frozen chicken breasts, frozen homemade pizza dough, etc.). So, if I don't have time to get to the market, I can whip up a healthy meal with what I've got on hand. And, I swim much faster when I'm eating better!! ;) How's that for staying on topic? I grow a large vegetable garden. Most things are best picked and eaten quickly. Often, while still standing in the garden! We try to let things stay on the plant as long as possible - they stay fresher that way. A really ripe tomato, still warm from the sun, just picked from the vine.......wow. One thing I have learned is that many veggies dry out in the fridge. Like you Bill, I pick the lettuce and clean it right away. While it is damp, I lay it out flat on paper towels. I will have multiple layers of towels, lettuce, towels, lettuce, etc. Then I roll the whole thing up - paper towels and lettuce together. Put it in ziploc or tupperware - whatever. The towels keep the lettuce from being soaking wet, but there is enough dampness in the bag to keep the lettuce from drying out. I can keep lettuce for two weeks without it going bad. This works best for leafy types of lettuce (black seeded simpson, red oak leaf, green leaf, escarole, etc.) but will work for romaine too. It doesn't do as well for iceberg - but I don't eat much iceberg anyway. It is too bland. This also works well for fresh asparagus, zuchinni and even peppers.

Originally posted by geochuck Yuk... too much green stuff. I hate the green but I do eat some of it... I now eat a varied diet and have lost a few pounds, 335 lbs in 1998 now 260 lbs but I am not in a hurry. In 1968 I set a BC masters record for the 100 meters LC for my age group which is still on the books. My prime weight when competeing was 220 lbs. However when I started marathon racing I would go up to 270 lbs in the off season... in 1964 I started the season at 245 and after the last race in Egypt I weighed in at 182 lbs I was a rake. I am gently heading for 235 lbs this year. George Park www.swimdownhill.com

Originally posted by laineybug There was a group of foods that were 'unlimited'. Guess what they were? Low carb veggies. Right you are, Lainey. Unfortunately, the term "low-carb" has been manipulated so much by the media, most people really don't know what it's supposed to mean. (Low-carb beer? Who are we kidding? -- my latest joke is "Have you tried the new low-carb potato?") Even though my recent success didn't come through any fad diet, I read about the "Zone" plan a while back, and Sears did a fairly good job classifying carbohydrates in two groups. The group to eat in moderation was the so-called "dense" carbohydrates, which included potatoes, rice, grains, pasta, and breads. The other type of carbohydrates were much less limited, and included leafy greens, etc. Unfortunately, all this discussion about carbs, protein (science) is enough to make me crazy. This is food we're talking about! It's supposed to be gorgeous and delicious. When I got started, I admit I did some simple calculations to find out about portions, daily caloric intake, and calorie expenditure. After that, it was all about awesome, high-quality, fresh food. What I really needed to know was where to go in the supermarket, what to buy, and how to prepare it. Instead of getting ideas and inspiration from fad diets, I got my inspiration from gourmet restaurants, celebrity chefs on the Food Network, and from the magnificent local, organic produce we have here in Portland. I have attached another photo of a salad I enjoyed during my journey. It is a Nicoise salad with tuna, mixed greens, carrots, sugar snap peas, beets, tomatoes, olives, and ::gasp:: fingerling potatoes, Peruvian purple potatoes, and red new potatoes! The dressing was a dijon vinaigrette of some type. Personally, I find this type of meal to be satisfying on a lot of levels. It is fresh, delicious, and colorful....didn't take long to prepare, either! Anyway, the message here is "enjoy food" -- enjoy it sensibly -- try not to make it into a science project. And yes, eat your veggies!

When people think of changing the daily nutrition plan to lose weight, most people think of the "D" words: diet, deprivation, dull, and dreadful! During my weight loss journey I discovered I could prepare dinner in 15 minutes or less, for $10 or less, it could be 500 calories or less, and it could be full of flavor and color. Rather than feeling deprived, I felt like I was pampering myself. It was truly remarkable!! Anyway, here's what I had for dinner tonight (SEE ATTACHED PHOTO) -- arugula and watercress salad tossed in a fresh, homemade tarragon honey dijon dressing with grilled marinated flank steak and watermelon chunks. It was amazing!! There was no deprivation involved whatsoever. As I was dining, I felt like royalty! By the way, I'm planning to post the recipe for the fresh tarragon honey dijon dressing on the USA Swimming web site in August. For those of you who don't already know, USA Swimming now has a section for Masters/fitness swimmers, and the section will include monthly nutrition columns with seasonal recipes. This month's recipe is cold Asian green beans. Check it out in the "Masters/Fitness" area of the "Swimmers" section at: http://www.usaswimming.org Cheers! Swimmer Bill

Yuk... too much green stuff.

Originally posted by Swimmer Bill PS: Nadine, does tiramisu count as a colorful food? :) SB, I wasn't sure if that was a rhetorical question or not. Check out the CMSA web site, specifically the Cleveland LC Nationals. Those are not coffee cups, those are (empty) Tiramisu bowls. :D

Nadine, I wish I could be on the "see food" diet and look like you!!! Alas, that diet got me up to 180! Swimmer Bill, nice pics, you are a hottie! :D

As much as I appreciate and enjoy the praise, I mostly hope the information I have posted is helpful to others. I received inspiration from a lot of different people, and now I hope to pass it along to others who need it as much as I did a few years back. If there's anyone out there who's having trouble getting started, please post your messages here and let us know if we can help. ....still hoping to hear back from the person who started this thread.... Bill PS: Nadine, does tiramisu count as a colorful food? :)

Are you the same Bill that was featured in Swim Magazine a few issues back? That was my inspiration to get back into the pool even though I still felt fat. did you ever have a point in your weight loss where you got stuck? I seem to be at that point now and could really use some help. I've started swimming interval and kick sets this week instead of the slow steady 2000 meters I was doing. I'm hoping that will help jump start things. I've lost 17 pounds but still have too much stomach and can't seem to lose any more weight. I've lost 3 inches around there, but really need to drop 2-3 more. My weight in numbers is ok for my age and height, if it wasn't for the thickness of my waist I'd probably be satisified. Any suggestions for anyone